Forgotten Life
by Ataraninja
Summary: Eight years after Sasuke leaves Konoha, he is found outside the gates in critical condition. Upon waking from his trauma, he has no memory of his past, and can only look to the future, but there is this pink-haired girl in his way. SasuSaku
1. Chapter 1, Forsaken Day

Forgotten Life

Naruto Fanfiction

Main Char: Sakura Haruno

Sasuke Uchiha

Chapter 1- _Forsaken Day_

He'd finally returned to Konoha, although the circumstances were not the best. It had been eight years since that night he'd left her unconscious on a cold bench. On the very anniversary of his departure the Uchiha was found outside the gates of Konoha, unconscious. He had been in a fight apparently because he was bleeding profusely.

Sakura remembered recieving the call to the hospital. She had been in her bedroom, sulled up as the rain poured down outside as it always did on this day, staring at the picture of their team that brought back all of her twelve-year-old memories.

"Sakura, we need you at the hospital, _stat!_" Shizune's voice echoed through the phone line.

"Okay Shizune, lemme get dressed," she said grudgingly. Why did she have to be such a good medic? Everytime something happened she was the one they called. Even though her apprentice had almost reached her level of expertise, with Tsunade gone, she and Shizune held up the hospital, always on call.

"Hurry Sakura, this one's _bad!_" Shizune exclaimed before some background noise on the phone drew her attention away from Sakura. "Got to go!" she said quickly, then hung up.

Sakura had already jumped out of bed, her phone on speaker and had her clothes on when Shizune hung up. She grabbed the phone and her raincoat and then rushed out of her house.

The rain was already flooding the streets, and Sakura splashed through it, the cold droplets covering her bare legs. At times like these she wished she didn't wear short skirts.

She made it to the hospital in two minutes and the receptionist pointed in the direction of ICU. She made a mad dash to the room where anxious voices could already be heard.

"Stop the bleeding Asuki!" she heard Shizune call out to her apprentice. "I'll take care of the head injury!"

Sakura could not believe what she was hearing. More than that, she could not believe what she saw as she stepped in the doorway. There was blood everywhere. She recognized Asuki and Shizune in their hospital robes, but they were bloodstained, as was the floor and the bed that the occupant lied on. Sakura rushed into the room, trying to assess the situation. The person on the bed was a male, his skin tone was undeterminable due to the blood, his hair appeared to be dark, although that could have been dried blood.

Shizune stood at the head of the operating table fueling her chakra into the wound on the man's head. She motioned for Sakura to come to her, just as Naruto rushed through the doors.

"I came as soon as I heard-Oh God!" he started, before staring dumbfounded at the man lying on the table. "I don't even recognize him," he said quietly as he stood frozen, seemingly afraid to come any closer.

"Don't recognize who, Naruto?" Sakura asked as she began to assist Shizune. They had to cleanse the wounds before they could put stitches in his head and she was frantically rinsing the wound through the thick black hair.

"Sasuke-teme..." Naruto said quietly, wondering why Sakura had not been notified.

He soon found out. At the mention of his name, Sakura's entire body tensed. She looked at the bloody face of the unconscious man and her heart fell. It _was_ Sasuke and she had not even recognized him. Her body began to shake and she dropped the water bottle she'd been holding. Water poured out onto the floor, mingling with the bright red blood, _Sasuke's_ blood.

"Come on Sakura! You can freak out after we've stabilized his condition! _Snap out of it!_" Shizune yelled as the heart monitor began to beep slower.

Suddenly Sakura snapped and the next hour seemed a blur. She worked furiously, remembering the good things about Sasuke-kun that she did not want to lose with his death. She shut out the bad memories that had stopped her from acting upon first realizing her patient's identity.

After what seemed like ages, the blood was gone, the wounds were healed and Sakura fell onto a couch exhausted. Naruto sat beside her and pulled her in close for support. He wrapped his arms around her as he always had on this day. It never failed that Sakura would need his support on this day. But now his support was needed for a different reason.

Before, it was the pain of Sasuke's departure and his abandonment of them. Now, it was the thought that he was home, but in the worst way possible.

"He had a concussion and a few broken ribs. He also lost a lot of blood. We were able to find a donor but he's still in critical condition. We don't know when he will wake up," Sakura said quietly, trying to be matter-of-fact even though she was hurting inside at the thought that Sasuke's homecoming could be short-lived.

"You don't always _have _to be strong, you know?" Naruto said, as he pulled her into his embrace. In a few minutes, both of them were asleep.

It was three days before there was any changes in Sasuke's condition. Naruto was up to his nose in his Hokage duties and therefore, Sakura took the liberty of staying at Sasuke's bedside, waiting for the Uchiha to awake. By the third day of her watch, she had bags starting to form under her eyes from the lack of sleep. Kakashi would come in every day and check on her, find her forcing herself into staying awake and then make her take a nap while he watched Sasuke.

The Uchiha had not stirred the entire time that he'd been resting on the bed and everyone in the hospital was starting to wonder if he would ever come out of his coma. Then one day, the heart monitor registered a change. An uneven rhythm, his pulse increased, a sign of awakening. Kakashi looked at the sleeping Uchiha curiously for a full minute, watching his face for movement.

Then he saw it, the Uchiha's eyes twitched and then squeezed shut. His mouth opened and he began to move his hands and feet. Kakashi smiled beneath his mask before nudging Sakura gently.

She groaned as she was woken prematurely from her much needed sleep. "Sakura, look," Kakashi said softly and Sakura's blurry eyes followed his fingertip to the Uchiha on the bed. He was moving and not just the twitches that were common for his sleep, but actually meaningful movements. He was trying to get out of the bed.

Instantly, Sakura was fully awake. She jumped up and ran to the bedside to still the Uchiha before he pulled out his IV's. "Kakashi, could you please go tell Naruto?"

Kakashi nodded his head and then exited the hospital room in a puff of smoke. Sakura turned back to Sasuke, noted that her hands were holding his, and then pulled away. He would not like her touching him, he never had. So, instead of holding him still, she watched warily as he moved around, testing his muscles and then sat up in the bed. He opened his obsidian eyes and looked straight at her.

They were just like she remembered except something was missing. She couldn't put her finger on what it was but when Sasuke spoke she knew.

"Who are you?"

-End-


	2. Chapter 2, Old Friends?

Forgotten Life

Chapter 2- _Old Friends?_

"Sasuke appears to have suffered a case of amnesia," Shizune said, stating the obvious.

"I know that Shizune! I just can't accept it. I mean, he was so innocent, like a little child, when he said it. But Sasuke, the _old_ Sasuke, was never like that," Sakura ranted. She didn't know whether to think of Sasuke's ailment as a good or bad thing.

"Sakura, maybe we should be happy about it. I mean, I highly doubt that the "old" Sasuke would have been happy to see us. This way, maybe he can start anew." Naruto spoke with such wisdom. Sakura still couldn't believe it, after all these years, that he had matured so much since they were genin. Now, as Hokage, he was just as handsome and wise as his father had once been.

Sakura could still remember him telling her about his encounter with the Fourth, how his father had appeared in his mind and stopped Kyuubi from being released. She had seen a genuine smile on his face that day, it was just too bad that she could not be as happy.

And the reason for her sadness lied in a hospital bed now, unaware of all the hurt and sorrow he had put both of them through. Now, he could not even remember _who _they were, much less what he had done to them. They were strangers, with no past, only the future.

"But he will remember eventually. He has to, they always do. Bits and pieces of his past will come back to him and he will be "old" Sasuke again. There is no use getting our hopes up!" Sakura exclaimed. Naruto backed away from her rage.

In truth Sakura only said those things out of fear. She did not want to fall back in love with him because he had hurt her so many times. She just couldn't go back to that little frail girl she had once been because if she did, she knew he would only break her again.

So Sakura turned away from the hospital room that housed Sasuke and walked away. Naruto's cries followed her out the door. "Sakura-chan, don't leave!"

She ignored him and kept walking. She had to get away from that dark-haired knight that threatened to take over her life again. So, once she was far enough away that Naruto could not see, she ran, and ran.

Naruto watched Sakura leave, knowing that there was nothing he could do to stop her. She still had feelings for the Uchiha, he knew that for sure, but he just couldn't understand why she would not take this chance to start over with the Uchiha.

Forgetting Sakura and her confusing actions, he walked back into the room where a nurse was doing a final diagnostic on Sasuke. "You're clear to go now," she said just as Naruto walked in the door.

Sasuke looked at her confused. Naruto read the expression on his face as such: "Where do I go?" In that instant, he stepped in.

"Hey Sasuke! You probably don't remember me but we are best friends. Come with me and I'll explain _everything_!" Naruto shouted causing the dark-haired fellow to look even more confused.

He did not reply however and instead rose from the bed, stumbling a little as his legs adjusted to his weight, and followed Naruto.

"So you see, we found you injured just a few days ago and well, you almost died. Then you were in a coma for a few days and when you woke up you did not remember any of us!" Naruto explained. He had left out the colder details of Sasuke's life, instead painting the picture of the perfect ninja for him.

Naruto's Version of Sasuke's Life: _You were born into a prestigious family but a tragic accident claimed the lives of your parents and your older brother never recovered from losing them. You joined the ninja academy to forget what had happened. That's where you met me and Sakura. Sakura, in case you didn't know, was the girl you saw when you first woke up. The one with the pink hair, yea you can't miss her. We became your teammates and friends along with Kakashi-sensei, who treated you like you were his son. We were a family, a disfuctional one, but a family nonetheless. Then, a few years ago, you got sent on a special mission but you never returned. We tried to find you but we were not successful. We thought you were gone for good. Sakura shed many tears over you. She loved you, you see. _

By the time Naruto finished, Sasuke appeared to have a firm grasp on who he "was" but now he needed to know who he "is." That question stumped Naruto.

"Well you've been gone a long time on your mission. I don't know all the things that happened to you, but I can tell you that today is like the first day of your new life. Just forget about the past, start over. That's what we will all do, okay friend?" Naruto explained, only hoping that Sasuke would agree.

"Okay Naruto. So how should I start my new life?" Sasuke asked mockingly.

"Funny. Well, I think we should start by finding Sakura."

"What do you mean 'find?' Where did she go?" Sasuke asked curiously.

"She was very upset about your condition and she ran off, but it's okay. I know she didn't go far. She never does," Naruto explained carefully. He, Sakura, and the others were going to have to get their story straight.

Sakura had ran as far as the gates before deciding that an amnesia-ridden Sasuke was nothing for her to leave her village over. She couldn't bear to hurt Naruto that way, not when he'd been there for her. So, once she reached the gates, she turned around and made her way slowly to the hospital.

It took her twenty minutes going at a normal pace, and when she got there the receptionist said that the Uchiha had checked out an hour earlier. They told her that he left with the Hokage.

Sakura sighed. She should have tried his estate first, she thought as she started walking toward Naruto's house. Naruto lived in his own section of the Hokage tower, the same section that his father had occupied during his service.

As she approached the huge building she looked up at the monument dedicated to the Hokages. The statue of Tsunade had been completed a few years ago, and now a new face was being carved into the stone. A face that held a huge grin. Why they had to carve out an image of Naruto looking childish, she had no idea but she guessed that it was because that's what the dork wanted.

She eyed the long set of stairs that made their way to the tower. She really didn't feel like making the walk, especially since there was no guarantee that Naruto was there. Then, she saw the blonde in his custom-made Hokage's robes walking down the steps with Sasuke beside him.

He saw her at about the same time and then waved crazily. "Hey, Sakura-chan! Get up here!" She put on a smile and then complied with his wishes.

Sasuke now seemed happy. He gave her a smile, one that almost made her melt. She liked this new Sasuke, the old one never showed any emotion and she always missed out on this kind of beauty.

"Hi Sakura-chan," Sasuke said in a smooth, warm voice. Sakura's eyes widened at the name that he called her. She liked the way it sounded coming from him. With Naruto, it was just an annoyance that she had come to accept but it was different with Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun..." she said, waiting for him to make a frown or something. Give her some sign that the old, cold-hearted Sasuke was still there, but he did not. Instead, he only gave her a grin in response to the nickname that he'd once despised. "Wait a sec' what are you _wearing?_" she asked suddenly.

"Oh this? Naruto loaned it to me. He said my other clothes were messed up and he didn't want me walking around in a hospital robe," Sasuke explained. He wore one of Naruto's black undershirts and a pair of his orange pants, which Sakura was sure he had a hundred sets of. To be frank, he looked quite comical and Sakura had to stop herself from laughing.

Suddenly, Naruto's phone rang. He pulled it out of his coat and answered it formally. "Uzumaki Naruto speaking."

Sakura and Sasuke listened for the reply but whoever was on the other end spoke quietly so they did not hear. Sakura guessed that it must have been Hinata.

He said a quick goodbye and hung up to phone before turning to Sakura. "I have to go. Hinata's at the hospital."

"Is she okay?" Sakura asked, wondering what she could possibly be in there for. She had not been called for an emergency.

"She wouldn't say but she seemed okay, just nervous maybe. I have to go. I will call you later to tell you what's up, Sakura. You and Sasuke will be okay if I leave you two alone, right?" Naruto said with a slight grin.

Sakura glared. "Of course, now go!" she exclaimed but he had already vanished.

And there she stood, alone with the man that she had not seen in six years, the same man that she had loved, but who had broken her heart in two. And yet, she had nothing to say to him.

-End-


	3. Chapter 3, Restart

Forgotten Life

Chapter 3- _RESTART_

Part of Sakura wanted to bring up the past, yell at Sasuke for the man he once was, but she knew that was not the right thing to do. He still seemed oblivious to everything they'd been through which led Sakura to believe that Naruto had told him a semi-fake story of his past, telling of the good, but leaving out all the bad. He probably would not have told him that he had left his only family behind to pursue an ambition of revenge, no that was something they _all_ needed to forget.

So, as she looked at this new Sasuke, who still stood looking at her with a warm smile on his face, she could only say happy things to him. "It's...uh, nice to have you back Sasuke-kun. I'm sure Naruto told you what happened to you, right? About your memory?" she prodded. She didn't want to say something to him that would contradict what Naruto had said.

"Yes, he told me about my special mission that I never returned from. He told me that they found me a few days ago injured, and that when I woke up I had no memory of what had happened," Sasuke stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

Sakura caught on quickly. This was the story Naruto had told him and that's what she would go with. "Okay well why don't the two of us go celebrate your long-awaited return from the mission, then?" she said, with a bubbly expression on her face.

"Sure thing,...Sakura-chan," Sasuke said in a velvety voice.

They arrived at Ichiraku's at around five o' clock. Sakura ordered her usual, and Sasuke, not knowing anything else to get, chose the same. It only took a couple minutes for their food to be cooked and soon they were both slurping down delectable chicken ramen noodles.

They only had a few minutes to enjoy their meal in peace however before a loud-mouthed blonde in Hokage robes, dragging a dark-haired female behind him appeared between them. He held a grin, as usual, but this one was different. It was immature, like something from his gennin days and Sakura tilted her head, asking for an explanation.

"Guys, I have to tell you something! Hinata just found out-" he yelled, almost making Sakura fall off of her stool. Sasuke winced at the sheer volume of his voice.

"Um, Naruto-kun, could you...um, try not to tell...like, everyone?" Hinata said shyly, looking down, a red blush clearly visible on her face.

"Oh, sorry Hinata-chan! I'll try to be quieter," Naruto said, his voice still loud enough that everyone near and in Ichiraku's could hear him. He continued, trying to be slightly quieter, "Hinata just found out that,..." He paused for dramatic effect. "We're going to be a _family_!"

Sakura smiled brightly and squealed before jumping off of her stool to hug Hinata and then Naruto in turn. "I'm so happy for you! Congratulations, soon-to-be _father_ Naruto. You're gonna have a new title."

"I know right, I'm so excited. I want my kid to look just like it's beautiful mother!" Naruto said, hugging Hinata and rubbing his face on hers.

"Now, Naruto-kun. I beg to differ. I want it to look like you, but I just hope it's not as obsessed with ramen as you are," Hinata said as she made her way to the barstool and began to look at the menu.

"Haha, very funny. Just for that I'm going to make sure it _loves_ ramen!" Naruto exclaimed, his eyes on his wife as he sat in the stool next to her and ordered five bowls of his favorite ramen.

No one seemed to notice that Sasuke had not spoken up about Hinata's pregnancy the entire time they'd been speaking. He was thinking about how it must feel to know that you had _created_ life. Ninjas always took away lives, or at least that's how it seemed so far, but as a parent, he could give back lives, or make new ones at least.

Thinking about these things made him wish he had someone to mother his children, but who would he choose? In his new life, he knew no one. Then he looked to his left, where a pink-haired beauty sat beside him. He looked down at her perfectly flat stomach and imagined it round and bulging, a young child growing inside. He also imagined her hair long and flowing as Hinata's was. He imagined her smiling at him, her pink locks tickling his face as she leaned in to kiss him.

Suddenly he stopped. Something had changed with his body and it was something that he would not want the others noticing. He turned away from the sight of Sakura and continued eating his ramen, trying to drown the thoughts in frothy goodness.

The voices of the others slowly returned to him and he was soon indulged in the conversation. Once he did, the time seemed to fly by and soon it was dark on the streets behind him.

Hinata motioned for Naruto that she was ready to leave and he stood and followed her. They stopped outside Ichiraku's as Sakura began to walk in the opposite direction alone. Sasuke stood confused. He didn't know where home was.

"Sakura-chan, wait!" Naruto exclaimed, stopping her before she could get out of the light that came from Ichiraku's. She turned in response. "Sasuke needs a place to stay. You wouldn't _possibly_ have an extra bedroom, would you?" he asked her, his intention clear.

"Well I have the guest bedroom, but-" Sakura started before realizing that she'd messed up. Naruto smiled at her and when she looked at Sasuke, he had a hopeful and innocent look on his face. "Come on..." she said to the Uchiha as she motioned for him to follow her.

If only she weren't so tired, she would have realized the trap before it was too late. Heck, Naruto and Hinata lived in an _estate_ by themselves. The Hokage had the single best home in the entire village with more rooms than any two people could ever use. Sakura, on the other hand, lived in a small house that had two bedrooms, a master bedroom and a guest bedroom that she only used for storage nowadays.

Naruto was only trying to play matchmaker and so far he was winning.

With Sasuke by her side, Sakura arrived home without any encounters. It was common for thugs to eyeball her as she walked the streets alone and even more common for them to attack her at night. She always handled them swiftly but it still put fear in her heart to walk the dark streets alone.

Once inside her house, she walked to the guest bedroom and opened the door. It wasn't as bad as she'd thought, just a few boxes scattered about the floor. The bed was not made so she quickly grabbed some sheets and a blanket from the closet and made the bed quickly for Sasuke. She stood back and surveyed her work. The room was not the cleanest but Sasuke would have to either accept it or sleep on the couch.

"Who said I was _ready_ to go to bed?" Sasuke asked in his smooth voice.

She turned around and Sasuke was there, his body so close to hers that she could hear his heart beating. She let out a gasp before realizing what she'd done and then covered her mouth.

"S-Sasuke, I-I didn't know...you were there. S-sorry," she stuttered, nervous as all get out that she had just been touching Sasuke.

"It's okay Sakura-_chan_. I kind of liked it anyways," Sasuke said with a smirk.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura exclaimed, a blush covering her entire face.

"What's the matter?"

"W-when do you become so...so _bold?_" she said, shocked that Sasuke was already making a move on her.

"The day I was born," he said sarcastically. He was referring to the beginning of his new life. To him, it was as if he had just been born.

"Funny, now just don't touch anything that's in the boxes and there is food in the fridge. The bathroom is down the hall on the right. I'll be right across the hall from you if you need me," Sakura said trying to ignore the bulge in Sasuke's pants that he made no effort to hide. "Goodnight," she added before rushing past Sasuke and into her bedroom.

Not trusting him to keep his distance, she locked the door behind her and instantly felt stupid. Sasuke was no rapist, he simply had been reborn a new man, a man that did not suffocate his emotions and desires. She suspected that it wouldn't take long for him to figure out how to please himself and that was fine with her.

In truth, she dreaded Naruto making her to take Sasuke with her because she still had not made up her mind about whether she wanted to try to love him again or not. Fear prevented her from making her decision swiftly but deep down her feelings for the Uchiha still fluttered in her heart. She knew that being this close to him, it was only a matter of time before she fell.

-End-


	4. Chapter 4, Getting the Ninja Back

Forgotten Life

Chapter 4- _Getting back the ninja_

_Sakura was walking with Sasuke through their old training grounds, smiling warmly as she looked around and the wild flowers that grew there. It was springtime so Sakura knew she was dreaming. Sasuke stopped in the center where a small tree was growing. It was about as tall as Sakura's waist and already it bloomed little pink flowers. Sakura. She knew the plant well, after all, it was her name's sake._

_ "What is this Sasuke? What are we doing out here?" she asked, confused until she looked at his face and his hands. He was holding something and he looked nervous. "Sasuke-kun..." she whispered, a little frightened._

_ "Sakura, I have to ask you something...," he began as he drew his hands up slowly. He opened his hands to reveal a little black box and as he opened the box, she saw the glint of a diamond ring. "Will you marry me?" he asked looking into her emerald eyes with hope._

_ Sakura felt the fear come even before her fantasy disappeared and was replaced with a time many years ago. He was leaving again, walking away from her even though she was chasing after him, begging him not to leave, pleading with him to stay. _

_ "I love you so much Sasuke-kun!" she exclaimed through her tears as the rain poured around them. Her wet hair stuck to her face and hid her tears from him now. _

_ This is how her memory had transformed. The rain was not real, it was a figment of her imagination, a symbol of her pain. She had created it after years of hurting over what Sasuke was about to do again._

_ "Thank you," he said as he appeared behind her and her world turned black. _

The pain, not physical, but more dangerous than an actual blade through her heart. His departure, his betrayal, it was the deepest sort of pain she'd ever experienced. The rain was all she heard as she opened her eyes.

A knock sounded on her bedroom door as she sat up in bed and looked out the window. The rain _really was_ pouring down outside. Sometimes Sakura wondered if she was some sort of weather witch. It seemed like every time she was sad, it rained. When she was happy, it was sunny. The knocking interrupted her thoughts again. She sighed and got out of her bed.

She opened the door and was about to fuss at Sasuke for waking her up when she noticed the look on his face. His eyes were wide and he wasn't looking at her face. She followed his eyes down until she was looking down at her clothing. Suddenly, she released the door and covered herself with her hands. She ran away from the door and grabbed her robe.

She quickly put it on, aware that she'd left the bedroom door open. She hoped that Sasuke would respect her and stay outside but she didn't count on it. She was wrong. Sasuke, still in shock at what he had seen and more than a little turned on, stood still waiting for Sakura to return.

She appeared only minutes later in a bath robe, but it at least covered more of her skin than the skimpy lingerie she'd shown him only minutes ago. "What did you want Sasuke?"

"Um...I'm...hungry."

Sakura sighed, forgetting that Sasuke, although once independent would have no memory or knowledge of cooking. So, she walked down the hall and into the kitchen to find something for them to eat.

They were just sitting down to eat their omelets when Sakura's phone rang. It was Naruto. He wanted to see them both at the Hokage tower in an hour. Sakura did not know what he wanted, but she figured it was something stupid. Either way, she agreed to meet with him just because he was her Hokage and her best friend.

So after she and Sasuke finished their breakfast in silence, they began making their way to the Hokage tower. It had stopped raining, almost as ominously as it had started. During their walk, Sakura couldn't help but feel like Sasuke was staring at her. She could feel his eyes on her and she wondered what had him so indulged.

Finally, she could take no more and she turned around infuriated and glared at him. "What are you staring at?" she yelled, causing some people's heads to turn.

Sasuke tensed, and gave her an innocent look. "I-I wasn't _staring_. I was...admiring."

"_Admiring?_ I've heard that before, right before some stupid man gets punched in the _face!_" Sakura said, losing her cool.

"I'm sorry. I just...nevermind. I won't do it again, I promise," Sasuke said, seeming hurt by her lack of appreciation for his compliments.

Sakura did not say another word to him the rest of the way to the tower. Seeing his expression, she felt kind of bad for being so mean to him, but the memory of her dream still burned in her mind. There he was, leaving her again, just like she always remembered. No matter who Sasuke was _now_ she could not forget who he _was_.

Once they got to the Hokage tower, Naruto was waiting for them in his office. Sakura could see why he couldn't leave. There was a stack of paperwork on his desk that was three feet tall. He was reading a scroll when she and Sasuke walked in.

"This had better be important, Naruto...," Sakura grumbled.

"Oh it is. There have been a few threats made upon the village recently and I need every capable body available in the event of a fight. Bottom line: I need you to _train_ Sasuke," Naruto said, getting to the point right away.

"_What?_" Sakura exclaimed. How did Naruto expect her to do that? And more importantly, why? What if Sasuke rediscovering his abilities caused him to remember everything from his past and he left them again?

"You heard me. Sasuke has had previous training so it shouldn't be difficult. You just need to fight with him and it should come back to him easily. If not, well, you can _teach _him. You trained Asuki, you can train Sasuke," Naruto said in a very formal and serious tone. There was no hint of pervertedness or mischievousness in his voice which told Sakura she was _not _getting out of this.

"But Naruto, training Asuki was different. I only taught her medical jutsus and that sort of thing. She already had a basic understanding of the workings of chakra-"

"And so does Sasuke, he just has to remember," Naruto interrupted. Once he'd finished speaking he handed the scroll he'd been reading to Sakura. "It's your mission, you have no choice Sakura-chan," he said, his usual self coming out a little.

Again, Naruto was trying to get them together and now he was using his authority to achieve this goal. Part of Sakura just wanted to pout and throw herself on the floor like a little child until she got her way. The other part, the mature one, told her to accept the mission and walk away, which is what she did.

The mission was simple.

Train with Sasuke daily.

Teach him how to use the basic jutsus...again.

Bring him to me when you are through for a test.

A _simple_ three step plan, right? Until Sakura started training with Sasuke.

It seemed that he really knew nothing about fighting anymore. Sakura wished she could keep it that way, but Naruto said otherwise.

Once she started fighting with Sasuke, she realized a major flaw in his style: he had none! He was clumsy and struck weakly. Frustrated Sakura fueled a punch with her chakra and punched him in the stomach.

He flew a full twenty feet back and only stopped once he'd crashed into a tree. "Wow Sakura. I didn't think you would be so...so _strong_," Sasuke complimented as he picked himself up off the ground.

"Hmph. It's not that I'm strong, just that you are _weak_," Sakura said, agitated that Sasuke did not even put up much of a fight.

_**Weak...**_

Sasuke's mind reeled at the word. _Weak... You are too weak...little brother._ A dark figure stood over him, his sword covered in blood. It was not Sasuke's, he didn't feel the pain. Then the figure was gone. It vanished into thin air but its words echoed in Sasuke's mind. _Weak...You are weak._

Suddenly Sasuke took in a deep breath of air and he rushed at Sakura in a blind rage. "I am _not _weak!" he yelled as he punched her in her stomach. She flew backwards almost as far as Sasuke had when she'd punched him with her chakra punch.

She landed on her feet and skidded backwards. "Sasuke, what-?" she started before realizing that he was rushing at her again.

She smirked. She waited until Sasuke was almost to her before using her jutsu. Sasuke punched and his hand made contact with a log as Sakura vanished in a puff of smoke.

Sasuke looked at the log in confusion before a weight landed on his shoulders. He crashed to the ground face-first with Sakura on top of him. She grabbed his hair and pulled his head back with one hand as her other drew a kunai to his throat.

Sasuke stopped breathing for a moment but then Sakura began to talk to him and he relaxed. "_This_ is how a ninja is supposed to fight, not by throwing those _weak_ little punches like you did earlier. Do you understand that Sasuke?" Sakura said in a cold voice.

"**I understand perfectly...Haruno**_,_" Sasuke said in an even colder voice. It was one that Sakura knew well, and one that she'd never wanted to hear again.

Suddenly Sakura was thrown from Sasuke's back by another Sasuke. The one beneath her dissapeared in a puff of smoke as her kunai pierced into its skin.

"When did you-?" she started as she landed on her feet again.

Sasuke made no reply but instead ran at her, his fists clenched. Sakura put her kunai back in its holster and then leaped into the air, high above Sasuke's head. She landed behind him and sent a hard punch to his back.

Sasuke fell forward with the pain, but some part of him kept him going even though he should have fallen. He landed in the mud and then turned around just in time to see Sakura come crashing down on him again with a flurry of punches.

She moved so fast but he found out quickly that he could move faster. His strong legs and arms helped him to roll out of the way causing Sakura to fall into the same mud puddle he had.

Now they were both covered in mud and they both stood at a distance, glaring at each other. Sasuke glared for no known reason. Sakura glared because she was finally able to release all of her anger over his past actions on him.

Suddenly the rain returned with full force and drenched them both. Immediately, it was as if it washed away the tensions because they both started laughing and then ran out of the muddy training field and headed for Sakura's house.

-End-


	5. Chapter 5, Out in the Rain

Forgotten Life

Chapter 5- _Out in the Rain_

Running at full speed, the two reached Sakura's home within a couple minutes. They rushed inside out of the rain and slammed the door shut behind them. Sakura told Sasuke to wait at the door while she went to get towels.

She returned within a few minutes to find Sasuke looking down at his muddy and wet clothes in disgust. She threw a towel to him, which he caught easily.

She began to dry off her own face and her hair. "I'm going to go take a shower Sasuke," she said from in front of her bedroom door.

"Um...okay," Sasuke said as he dried off his exposed skin.

When Sakura got out of the shower and got her clothes back on, she walked back into the living room to find Sasuke's borrowed clothes dropped on the floor and he wore the towel around his waist as he sat on her couch.

"Oh God! Sasuke, what are you doing?" she exclaimed, covering her eyes.

"My clothes were dirty," he said with a shrug.

Sakura looked at the pile of dirty clothes _and _underwear and then looked back at Sasuke. This could not be good. At least, he wasn't wearing orange pants anymore though, Sakura thought happily.

She picked up her phone to call Naruto but before she could click the Call button, Sasuke grabbed her hand and took the phone from her.

Sakura looked into his eyes and noticed an unfamiliar emotion within them. She wanted to push him away, to be angry at him for taking her phone from her, but she could not.

As she looked into his obsidian eyes, her heart melted and her legs tried to give way. Sasuke slowly set her phone down on the table to his right and then moved his hand towards Sakura's waist. The whole time, he held onto her wrist and stared into her eyes.

Sakura wondered if he even _knew_ what he was doing to her as he placed his hand on her waist and pulled her into his half-naked body. She couldn't help but notice his muscle tone or the way his Adam's apple moved up and down as he swallowed, clearly nervous about his own actions.

So far, Sakura had been unable to stop him, to say no to his unsubtle advances. She just didn't have the strength, especially not since this was something she'd always wanted from him. Just to have him _touch_ her...she'd only dreamed of it.

As Sasuke was pulling her in even closer to him, Sakura's phone rang as if by some miraculous turn of events. Sasuke snapped out of his daze and snatched up the phone. "It's Naruto," he said after looking at the Caller ID.

"Give it to me," Sakura said as she pulled away from Sasuke and grabbed the phone. "Hello?" she said, trying to steady her voice.

"Uh...yea, we're okay. We are at my house. We got soaked. Could you bring another set of clothes and...um, undergarments...for Sasuke. And please nothing orange," Sakura said nervous about mentioning underclothes when Sasuke was still standing near her wrapped in a towel.

"Okay, bring the clothes as soon as you can," Sakura said after a short pause. "_Please..."_ she said in a lower and more desperate voice.

"Okay bye!" she said before hanging up the phone.

Sasuke swooped her up into his arms as soon as her phone closed and asked her, "Now why would I need those clothes so soon. I rather like being this underdressed, especially around someone as beautiful as you."

As he carried her to her bedroom, she said, "Sasuke stop this now! We can't...I mean, I don't want...please don't."

She finished her sentence just as Sasuke laid her on the bed. "Why not Sakura-chan? Naruto told me how you felt about me...what's the problem?"

"Wait, what did Naruto tell you?" Sakura said as Sasuke climbed onto the bed with her.

"He told me that you loved me and how heartbroken you were when I didn't return from my mission," Sasuke said simply as he stopped and sat down on the bed.

"Sasuke that was a long time ago and I-well, we should get to know each other again before...we get into anything," Sakura said, trying to say it lightly so as not to hurt his feelings.

"You don't love me any more, do you?" he asked, looking down. "Naruto acted as if nothing would take away that love but you obviously don't care for me any more. I'm sorry I misunderstood. Forgive me?"

Sakura hated herself at times like these. Here this new Sasuke was trying to seduce her and she turned him down, leaving him feeling hurt and sad. It was just like what the old Sasuke had always done to her.

Her conscience got the better of her as she looked at him. She scooted closer to him and wrapped her arms around him lovingly.

"I never said that I didn't love you any more. I just think that we should get to know each other as we are _now_. You are not the same as you were before Sasuke, and neither am I. The separation and your recent accident have changed us both. We are like two totally different people and we need to learn each other's new personality," Sakura said, trying to explain things the best way she could.

"Okay," Sasuke said simply before pulling away from Sakura's arms and walking out of her bedroom and into the guest bedroom, his head down in defeat.

Sakura sat motionless. She hoped that she hadn't totally screwed everything up. She wondered if Sasuke would even want to be her _friend_ after what she'd said. She could tell that he was hurt.

The darker part of her said that he deserved it. He _needed_ to feel the pain, as she had many years ago. The lighter part of her realized, however that Sasuke did not remember doing those things. In his mind, they never happened.

The question now was: Should she start over too or should she take her previous lessons as a warning to stay away from the Uchiha?

-End-


	6. Chapter 6, Telling the Truth

Forgotten Life

Chapter 6- _Telling the truth_

Sasuke had laid down after leaving Sakura's room and had fallen asleep, still wrapped in the towel. As he slept, his mind, clouded by the hurt that she'd just caused him, wandered back to a time many, many years in his past, all the way back to his childhood.

_A continuation of what he'd seen in his fight with Sakura, Sasuke saw himself as a young boy, crying over two bodies. The pain that he felt told him that they were important. They looked just like him, dark hair and dark eyes, eyes that were still wide open in shock._

_ Their bodies did not move, and they were covered in blood. Sasuke cried, his tears mingling with the blood on the floor. Then someone else entered the house. Sasuke turned to see that dark silhouette from before._

_ "Itachi, look what they did to Mother and Father," he said in his childish voice._

_ The man in question did not speak, only raised a katana that was covered in blood. His eyes matched the color on the sword and Sasuke's eyes went wide._

_ "B-brother? What are you doing with that? Did you kill the ones that did this? D-did you?" Sasuke asked, his small voice rising to an even higher pitch._

_ Still, the shadow of a man did not speak. He began to walk slowly toward the younger Sasuke._

_ "Yes little brother and I would kill you too..." he said, his evil voice barely a whisper. "But you are too weak."_

Suddenly, Sasuke opened his eyes and jumped up in his sleep. He looked around and found himself back in the junked up guest room of Sakura's house.

He got out of the bed and went to the door. He opened it and listened for Sakura. When he heard no sounds outside of his room, he went back inside and closed the door. He turned towards the boxes that were sealed shut with tape. He wondered why Sakura hadn't wanted him to see what was inside.

Walking over to the first box, he pulled off the tape and opened it. He looked inside and found a bunch of clothes, too small for Sakura to wear now. There was a little red dress with a white circle on it. He could imagine a younger Sakura wearing it, in fact, he could _almost_ remember her wearing that.

He dug further through the pile of clothes until he came upon a bunch of photographs. He pulled a bunch of them out of the box and sat on the bed, looking through them. Most of them were of a younger Sakura posing. In every picture, she had the biggest smile on her face, her emerald eyes aglow, unlike the way they were now. Still, a bunch were pictures of him where he was trying to escape the spotlight, putting his hands in front of the camera, turning his back to her and more.

As he looked through the pictures, he started to find group pictures. Sakura and a blonde-headed girl sharing a friendly hug. Sakura holding Naruto by his collar and threatening to punch him. Sakura and Naruto looking up at their sensei in curiosity. They appeared to be analyzing his mask. And at the bottom of the pile, Sasuke found a picture that had all three of them in it.

Someone had taken a picture of he, Sakura, Naruto, and Kakashi from many years ago. They looked, with the exception of Kakashi, to be about twelve. Kakashi, in the center of the picture was holding an orange book up to his nose. Sasuke saw himself in the edge of the picture with a frown on his face. Sakura was batting her eyelashes at him, and Naruto wore the cheesiest grin ever.

Sasuke looked at himself. He was not smiling even though it was a happy picture. He was pondering on the oddity of this when suddenly the door swung open. He jumped up and tried to stuff the pictures back in the box before she could see but he was too late.

Sakura stood in the doorway holding a set of clothes and her eyes were wide, her mouth dropped open slightly. Suddenly, she dropped the clothes on the floor and her face turned red and she frowned at him.

"What did I tell you about the _boxes?_" Sakura yelled as she looked at the pictures that Sasuke had tried to stuff back in the box.

"The question is, Sakura: what can you tell me about myself?" Sasuke countered, picking up the picture of the four of them. "Why was I so mad in all these pictures, Sakura? Is there something you and Naruto aren't telling me?"

Sakura froze, her lips trembling. She didn't want to be the bearer of bad news. She would hate for him to return to his avenger mindset and go back to trying to kill Itachi. She didn't want to bear the heartache of him leaving again.

"Um...um...maybe we should talk to him about this..." Sakura said, fearful as she looked at Sasuke's serious face.

"No, I'll talk to _you_ about it. Why, Sakura? And who is Itachi?" Sasuke questioned further.

Sakura gasped at that name. He knew about him somehow so there was no escaping it. She had to talk now. "Here, put these clothes on and we'll talk. I promise," she said as she picked up the fresh clothes and threw them to him.

Sasuke simply nodded his head as he began to unfold the clothes. Sakura walked out of the room so he could get dressed, still wondering how she was going to talk to him about the truth.

Before Sasuke could get dressed, Sakura quickly pulled out her phone and sent Naruto a text message saying: **Hurry to my house! We have a problem with Sasuke!**

Sasuke came down the stairs seconds after Sakura had shoved her phone in her pocket. Sasuke ignored her as he walked into the room and went straight to the door, locking it and the deadbolt, before turning around to her. He looked at her knowingly and Sakura backed away in fear.

She didn't want to bring bad news to Sasuke to make him return to the cold man he once was, but it seemed he was already changing back. Taking a deep breath, Sakura prepared herself for the worst as she began to answer Sasuke's questions as best as she could.

If he was going to leave again, he would do it no matter what. It was the day of reckoning for Sasuke, once again.

-End-


	7. Chapter 7, Tears and a Revelation

Forgotten Life

Chapter 7- _Tears and a revelation_

Sakura had been talking for ten minutes now and Sasuke just sat beside her on the couch listening in silence. He did not reply or make any sound, not even when she mentioned how his _brother_ murdered not only his mother and father, but the entire Uchiha clan, his family. He only showed interest when she talked about his treatment of she and Naruto and that day of his departure.

_"It was a cold, dark night and...you were leaving. You had been made an offer by Orochimaru, an ex-Leaf ninja. He'd promised you great power, great enough to defeat Itachi, and you...being overcome with that endless desire to have your revenge...you accepted his offer. That night...well, a couple years later we met you again and you'd changed. Naruto had promised...to bring you back to Konoha but when we met up again, you attacked us both. That was when...my faith in you...started slipping."_

"Wait, that night? What happened?" Sasuke questioned. Sakura cursed herself for making her tension on the subject show.

"N-nothing okay! I-I don't want to talk about it," Sakura said, shutting down on him. She couldn't talk to him about that. She could not tell him how much he hurt her, or the feelings that went through her when he'd came up behind her and...No! she just couldn't talk to the culprit himself, the very reason that she'd been unable to have a steady relationship with anyone for the past eight years.

Sasuke looked at her sympathetically. _What did I _do_ to you Sakura-chan?_ he thought to himself as he noticed the tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

Suddenly, a knock came at the door and Sakura jumped up before Sasuke could and unlocked it. Before Naruto could come inside, she had escaped to her room, closing the door behind her.

Sasuke watched her go, and figured that he might as well talk to Naruto now. He opened the door and let Naruto inside and the two of them sat down on the couch and began to talk about the situation.

Meanwhile, Sakura was in her room. She couldn't hold in the tears anymore and she didn't want Sasuke to see her crying. At least, not this sort of crying. She could still hear the two guys in the other room talking so she tried to stay quiet. She didn't want either of them to come in and see her this way.

She'd tried to be strong, tried to hold in all of her emotions as she spoke the truth to Sasuke but when she got to _that_ part...she just couldn't hold it in any more.

It was the day after the anniversary of Sasuke's departure. Eight years of tears, hurt, and incurable wounds. These wounds ran deep, the blood they produced seeped out even now after it had all this time to heal.

Sakura wondered sometimes if she would ever heal from the wounds Sasuke had left her with.

Images filled her mind again. _This time there was no rain, just the silence in the air, silence that was in ways worse than the rain. Sasuke stood there motionless and waiting for her to state her cause. She'd stopped him but now she was fighting for the right words. "Sasuke-kun! Wait, please! Take me with you!" she said on impulse._

_ "No." Sasuke turned away from her and began walking away from her again._

_ "Please Sasuke-kun, I-I'll stay out of your way, just take me with you!" she begged. She was already crying and she cursed herself for being so weak in front of Sasuke._

_ "Sakura, you do not belong where I am going," Sasuke said turning to face her. This was different. He'd never said this before._

_ "W-what do you mean?" she asked, shocked._

_ "This journey is mine alone and the places that I am going,...you do not need to be there."_

_ "But I want to be with you, Sasuke-kun!" she said running until she was closer to this riddle-speaking Sasuke._

_ "No Sakura. You will only get hurt and...you'll distract me. You are...too weak to go with me," Sasuke said, straining to say those hurtful words. _

_ Sakura knew this was not what Sasuke had told her all those years ago. It was as if now, she was realizing his true meaning. _

The tears went away and suddenly she opened her eyes and found herself awake once more. That was it, Sasuke had kept her away because she was someone close to his heart. It was the same thing with Naruto. They had been his closest friends and because of that, he had to leave them behind.

He would have never admitted this to anyone but now, Sakura knew it to be the truth. _"Thank you."_ Those were his last words to her before he left. She remembered proclaiming his love to her and he'd seemed unfazed but as he knocked her out, he'd whispered those two simple words in her ears. Now she understood them, and because of that, she could move on.

_"Thank you for loving me, and supporting me."_

"So you see Sasuke, you really _hurt _Sakura when you left. She begged me to go find you, she made me promise that I would look for you, but eventually she stopped caring...or so it seemed. When I became Hokage, she forgave me of my debt to her and tried to move on. She even tried dating but that's when I knew it wasn't over for her. The pain that she carries in her heart still remains," Naruto said, finishing his story of Sasuke's departure.

Sasuke looked down at his lap and tried to remember doing those things to Sakura. He could imagine it but his memory still failed him. He wished that he could remember his words so that he could reverse them now.

Still, a darker part of his mind told him to be angry with Naruto for lying to him about his past. Why didn't he just tell him the truth to begin with? Sasuke was so confused right now that he did not know how to respond to Naruto's explanation.

Sakura's bedroom door cracked open at just that moment, saving Sasuke from having to respond. Both he and Naruto turned to see Sakura, her eyes red from recently-dried tears. She showed no other signs of the struggle that her mind had been in as she walked over to the two men and sat between them on the couch.

Naruto was silent for the longest time, and so were Sasuke and Sakura. None of the three knew what to say to each other. Sakura was waiting for one of them to question her about her tears, and Naruto and Sasuke were too afraid of upsetting her to say anything.

Naruto questioned her with his gaze and she responded with a calm tone, "I'm okay. I understand it all so perfectly now."

"Sakura-chan?" Sasuke asked timidly from her left side.

"It was not my journey to make, only yours, Sasuke-kun. And I...I forgive you," Sakura said as she took Sasuke's hand in hers and squeezed it gently.

-End-


	8. Chapter 8, Everything he did

Forgotten Life

Chapter 8- Everything _He_ did

Sasuke was having a hard time falling asleep. First, Sakura had tried her best to explain what his life had _really _been like and then she got torn up inside and rushed away, leaving Naruto to bear the weight of the truth. Then when she returns and Naruto has explained in detail the hurt he'd caused Sakura, she forgives him for things that he still does not remember doing.

Part of him said that this was a good thing but another part still worried that there was unfinished business from his past that could return to haunt his new life. He dreaded the mere thought of that as his fresh start had left him a happier person and he enjoyed seeing the smiles on the faces of his friends, rather than the tears that Sakura had shed just recently over him. He could only imagine that the tears she shed now were nothing compared to what she'd done in the past.

When he last looked at the clock, it read 2:30 AM. Shortly after, his exhaustion took over him and he was finally at peace.

_It seemed he had not been sleeping long when it began. It was a quiet night and he was in his home, his backpack filled with the objects he would need for his journey. He was looking at a picture that was sitting on a desk in his room. It was the same picture that he'd seen in Sakura's house, the one with he, Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi. He laid it face down before leaving his house, not turning back._

_ He was halfway there, the gates only a few blocks away from him now when he saw her. She was there waiting for him, silently._

_ "What are you doing out here?" he asked as he continued walking._

_ "I knew you would come this way, so I waited for you," she responded, her face still calm._

_ "Leave and go back to sleep," he grumbled as he walked past her._

_ "Why won't you talk to me? You're always so quiet and you won't even say a single word to me!" she said, becoming distressed now as she turned to look at him with teary eyes._

_ "I told you: I don't need your help! So quit trying to look after me," Sasuke replied._

_ Silence exchanged between them._

_ Then, "No matter what, you always hate me, don't you? Do you remember, when we became genins, the day our three-man team was first decided...the first time we were here by ourselves, you were so mad at me."_

_ Sakura recounted the memory of Sasuke explaining loneliness to her and then she quoted, "You're annoying."_

_ Sasuke lied, "I don't remember that."_

_ Sakura paused in shock before laughing off his forgetfulness. "Yeah, I guess that is in the past, huh? But that's when everything started, our team, all of our memories...together. We did missions together and...even though it was painful and difficult at times, I enjoyed it."_

_ Sakura paused, seeing that she was getting nowhere, just by reminiscing. Then she said in a low voice, "I know about your past Sasuke. Even if you get revenge, I won't bring anyone happiness. Not even you,...or me."_

_ "I already know," he said with a smirk._

_ Sakura looked up in shock._

_ "I'm different from you and Naruto. I cant follow the same path as you guys. Up until now, we have done everything as a group but now...there is something else _I _must do...alone. In my heart, I have already decided to pursue revenge and that is the only reason that I live._

_ I'll never be like you or Naruto..."_

_ Sakura was getting desperate, Sasuke could sense it, but in his dream, he did not care. He only wanted her gone. Why couldn't she just make this easy?_

_ "Do you really want to be alone again, Sasuke? You told me how painful that was, and right now, I know your pain! "I may have friends and family,...but if you were to leave...to me, I would be just as alone as you were," she exclaimed, clenching her fist as she tried to grasp the words that would turn him around._

_ The words sunk into Sasuke's mind but he pushed them away. He could not let this _girl_ stop him now, not when he was so close._

_ "From here on, we begin new and separate paths," he said simply, taking a step forward._

_ "I-I love you, Sasuke-kun! I love you with all my heart! If you were to stay here with me, there would be no regrets. We'd do something fun every day and we'd be happy...I swear! I would do anything for you, so...please just stay with me!_

_ I'll even help you with your revenge...I don't know what I could do but I would try my best to do something. If you can't stay here, then take me with you..."_

_ Sasuke clenched his teeth. Why couldn't she just listen to him when he told her to leave? He didn't want to hear this, he didn't want to feel her pain, it would only make it harder for him to leave. He knew what he had to say. It would hurt her, he knew, but it had to be done._

_ "You really are...annoying," he said, turning to her so that she could see he was serious. Then he quickly turned away and began to walk, his hands still in his pockets._

_ "Don't leave! If you do, I'll scream!" she exclaimed suddenly waving her arms frantically._

_ He was behind her in a flash. She was stunned into silence as he spoke softly to her, "Sakura...thank you." Sakura fell into his arms as she passed out from the pressure point and he laid her on the bench before rushing away to the gates._

His eyes opened slowly and he stared up at the ceiling of the room. It was dark, just like that night. He felt something wet on his cheek and touched it only to find that it was a tear. A single tear.

So this was the extent of the pain he'd caused Sakura. Those cruel, heartless words, that had been him. He had tore her down to a bare shell, that much was evident as he thought about the differences between the younger Sakura he now remembered and the older one that he knew.

"I have to make this right...," he whispered in the dark as he sat up in the bed. He looked over to the door and walked to it, almost in a trance. He turned the knob, swung it open, and then took two more steps to stand in front of Sakura's bedroom door.

He knocked twice, and when there was no answer, he timidly turned the knob. He was surprised to find it unlocked. He stepped inside Sakura's dark room and felt around until he found a small lamp by her bedside.

He turned it on and then looked at Sakura's face for a moment in the dim light. Her eyebrows were scrunched together and her face appeared wet, although Sasuke could not tell if she was sweating or crying.

Unable to hold in his desire to apologize to her, he touched her face gently and whispered, "Sakura..."


	9. Chapter 9, Never Again

Forgotten Life

Chapter 9- Never Again

"Sakura..." His voice entered her mind softly but it brought on a new set of tears. She thought she was still dreaming.

"No...Go away. I don't...want to see you any more," she mumbled sleepily. She didn't realize that she was sleep-talking.

"Sakura...I need to talk to you. It-It's really important. Please wake up," Sasuke said, his voice kind yet desperate. This was not the Sasuke in her nightmares, so Sakura turned to his voice unable to see his face yet.

"Where are you?" she asked as if searching for him in her mind. She obviously still thought she was asleep.

"I'm right here Sakura, open your eyes. You're not dreaming," Sasuke said gently, rubbing her wet cheek with the back of his hand.

Sakura opened her eyes and then jumped away from him. She slapped his hand away in shock. "S-Sasuke-kun? W-What are you doing in here? How did you get in?"

"You left the door unlocked," he replied with a shrug as he brought his hand down. Then he said quickly, "But that's beside the point, I have to talk to you. I-I had a dream...a memory."

"Not again...please, Sasuke. Right now, I'd rather not think about Itachi," Sakura said, shaking her head.

"It wasn't Itachi, Sakura...it was you. I dreamt about...that night." Sasuke looked at her with sincerely sad eyes.

Sakura gasped and put her hand up to her chest. She looked away from Sasuke as she felt of her wet face for the first time. "Apparently, so did I..." she murmured.

"I'm sorry, Sakura, for everything I said to you! If I had said what I was really thinking, then maybe...no, even that would have been wrong. I should have stayed. I should have turned back and ran into your open arms. I was a fool for not doing just that. I see that now, when my eyes are clear and my mind is sober," Sasuke said suddenly, his words rushed as if he was talking to a girl for the first time in his life.

Sakura was silent as she looked at Sasuke. He stood beside her bed, looking directly at her, searching for her forgiveness. She softened up and motioned to him to get on the bed.

Sasuke sat down on the edge of the bed and Sakura came and sat beside him.

"Sasuke, you did what you thought was necessary. Your path may not have been the happy one, but if it led to your satisfaction then it could not have been so bad. I just wish...that you would have included me in your plans whatever they were. I wanted so much to be with you, I wanted to help you...and I would have, but you did not allow it. I've always wondered something however...right before I blacked out, you said something to me."

"Thank you," Sasuke quoted. He had felt the emotion when he'd said it in his dream. The love she'd shown to him, the support she offered, everything she was willing to do for him. It all deserved it's own thanks, but he would not have told her at the time what it meant so he just summed it up in two words.

"Yes. _Thank you._ What did you mean when you said that Sasuke? Those words...have always plagued my mind. I've always tried to decipher the meaning behind it, but I've never truly understood it."

"Sakura, let me tell you again," Sasuke said, grabbing Sakura's hand from her lap. He looked into her eyes as he spoke. "Thank you for loving me, Sakura. Thank you for supporting me. Thank you, for offering your entire being to me even when I didn't deserve it. Thank you."

Sakura's eyes were wide as Sasuke spoke to her and then she couldn't hold it in any longer. The tears fell out of her eyes before she could even try to stop them. She was surprised when she felt two strong arms wrap around her and hold her close.

"So...what now?" she asked him between her sniffles.

"I propose...that we both start over. We put the past behind us and look toward the future. Whatever we were to each other before, we throw that away and we start over. Let's make today be the first day of our new life...together," Sasuke answered.

Sakura could not believe her ears. She squeezed Sasuke tighter and let out a little squeal of pleasure. "As what, Sasuke-kun?"

"Whatever you want us to be, Sakura-chan," he answered as he leaned down and planted a kiss on her forehead. She smiled enjoying the warmth of his skin on hers as she fantasized about her new life with Sasuke.

Naruto and Hinata were walking down the steps of the Hokage tower when they saw two familiar people approaching them. "Look Naruto-kun! They're...together!" Hinata said as she pointed at their friends who were holding hands.

"Yes! Uh, I mean...that's good. They deserve each other," Naruto said, correcting his immature action shortly after he'd committed it.

"Oh, Naruto-kun, you don't _always_ have to be the Hokage. Sometimes you can be Naruto Uzumaki, believe it!" Hinata said jokingly as she began to pick up the pace, heading for Sakura and Sasuke.

"Hinata-chan, be careful!" Naruto exclaimed as he ran after her. Just as the words left his lips, Hinata missed a step and began to fall. "Hinata!" Naruto yelled.

Hinata saw the concrete steps closing in on her. If she fell, she would land on her stomach. The very thought made her stomach churn, but there was nothing she could do. She was too far gone to catch herself. Just as she was preparing for the impact, a set of strong arms appeared beneath her.

She fell into them softly and was about to thank Naruto for saving her when she looked up. Naruto was not the one holding her. The face of her saviour was instead framed by raven-colored locks, his obsidian eyes worried for her.

"Oh thank goodness, you caught her Sasuke-kun!" Sakura exclaimed as she ran up behind him. Naruto had just made it to them as well. He stared in shock at Sasuke and where the Uchiha had been standing just before Hinata fell. There was no way he could have closed that distance in such a short period of time, but he had.

"Hinata-chan, are you okay?" Naruto said as he reached out his hand to her.

"Stop Naruto! Let me check her before you move her," Sakura said, her medic training coming out as she closed her eyes and placed her hands over Hinata's stomach. She was still for a long minute, her hand just resting over Hinata's stomach.

Naruto became more worried the longer she took and he eventually exclaimed, "Sakura, what's the matter?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry. Nothing's wrong, it's just..." Sakura grabbed one of Naruto's hands and placed it on Hinata's stomach. She moved her chakra out of her own hand and into his so that he could feel it.

A heartbeat. Steady and strong. The baby was growing inside of Hinata. Everything was going well, but just to feel that sign of life first hand...Naruto started laughing. "It tickles!" he exclaimed. The vibrations of the baby's heart could have that effect on someone that was untrained and not accustomed to feeling this sort of thing.

Sasuke had been holding Hinata this entire time and he'd watched with the Hyuuga as both Sakura and Naruto felt of her growing stomach. Sasuke could imagine the thrill in Naruto's heart when he felt his own child's heart beat. He looked at Sakura, who seemed just as excited about the new baby, and his eyes fell to her stomach for the second time in the past few days.

He wanted to feel that joy for himself, to be able to know that he was responsible for the life of a new child. He wanted to be a _father_.

-End-


	10. Chapter 10, Life Goes On

Forgotten Life

Chapter 10- Life Goes On

It had been three weeks since Sasuke's memory returned and he and Sakura had grown extremely close since that night. They'd begun a routine. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, they would meet at Team 7's old training grounds and Sakura would spar with him. Sakura worked at the hospital on the other days. Of course, she was always on call and sometimes had to leave their sessions early. At those times, Sasuke would remain and train by himself. He spent a lot of time meditating and concentrating his chakras in those three weeks.

On the third Friday, Naruto came out to see how he was progressing. The blonde was slightly surprised at the huge craters that now marred their old training grounds. "Sakura, been doing a little landscaping, eh?" he joked as he pointed at one particularly large crater.

Sakura shook her head as she and Sasuke walked over to Naruto. "I didn't do that one," she said truthfully.

"What do you mean?" Naruto said, looking back and forth between the two.

"I mean...that Sasuke did it. Do you need a demonstration?" Sakura said, looking sideways at Sasuke, who smirked.

"Uh..." Naruto said, mouth open.

Sasuke took that opportunity to set his sights on a sturdy looking tree. He ran toward it as a blue glow formed around his hand. Suddenly the glow turned into what appeared to be lightning that made chirping sounds as he rammed his hand into the tree.

The lightning bolts cut and sliced at the trunk of the tree at a blindingly fast speed and the shockwave of his attack pulled it out of its roots leaving a large crater where the tree had been.

Naruto looked on in shock as Sasuke's chidori cut through the tree with ease. It reminded him of a time years ago when Sasuke was aiming that deadly weapon at him. "Wow," was all he could say as Sasuke brushed the dust off of his shirt and walked back to join his friends.

"See, I told you it was Sasuke, although most of them are mine," Sakura said as she turned her attention back to Naruto.

"So, do you think he's ready?" Naruto asked.

"Ready for what?" Sakura asked curiously.

"The test. I figure we'll still treat him like a genin at the moment, so his test will determine if he becomes classified as a chuunin."

"Oh. Well, I think he is ready, but what is the test going to be?"

"A test of his fighting ability: we'll have him face off against one of our other genins and the jounins and I will be the judge of his abilities," Naruto said as Sasuke got closer.

"Who will he fight?" Sakura asked curiously.

"I can't tell you just yet. You would change his training regime if you knew," Naruto said with a smirk. "Well, I have important business to take care of now. I will see you tomorrow for the test. Goodbye Sakura, Sasuke," he said as he vanished in a puff of smoke.

"What was all that about, Sakura? A test?" Sasuke asked as he walked up behind Sakura.

"You're ready for your test as a ninja. Naruto has gone to set it up...We have a lot of work to do before tomorrow," Sakura said as she stared at the place where Naruto had been just seconds before. She took a deep breath before turning around and nodding to Sasuke to begin their training session.

It was six thirty that afternoon before they finally stopped training. Sasuke suggested that they go get something to eat afterwards. It would save Sakura from having to cook and when they got back to her house, there would be nothing else to worry about except each other.

So, on their way home, they stopped at Ichiraku's. Sakura was a bit surprised to see a familiar face wearing a new uniform.

Asuki, her apprentice medic, was not wearing her usual hospital scrubs. Instead, she wore a black suit and around her waist was a belt that held two short-bladed katanas. She tensed up when Sakura stepped into the light at Ichiraku's and without turning to look at her she whispered, "Sakura-sama..."

"Asuki, what are you doing in _that_?" Sakura said, unable to contain her surprise.

"Oh, well the Hokage needed me for a special mission so I got relieved of my duties at the hospital for a few days," she replied in her soft, airy voice. Her ice blue eyes turned to look at Sakura and the man that sat down beside her. "Who's your friend, Sakura-sama?"

"This is Sasuke. He's the one that came into the hospital a few weeks ago," Sakura explained, trying to make Asuki understand while still avoiding hurting Sasuke's feelings.

"Oh. Well, you two enjoy your meal. I have to go now," Asuki said, leaving her money on the counter and a half-eaten bowl of ramen behind.

"Um...okay," Sakura said as her apprentice rushed out into the darkness.

She turned back to look at Sasuke, who seemed just as confused by the young genin's actions as Sakura. Sakura shrugged and then turned around and ordered her ramen, pushing the thoughts of her confusing apprentice out of her mind.

Sakura and Sasuke walked home, both tired from their day of training. It was only 7:30 when they got back to Sakura's house, but they were both ready to retire for the night. Sakura walked over to her bedroom door and turned around to look at Sasuke.

He stood outside of his bedroom, his hand on the knob, but he did not enter. He had a thoughtful expression on his face that made Sakura curious. "What is it, Sasuke-kun?" she asked.

"Huh? Nothing, it's just...your apprentice, Asuki. Her chakra...it felt strange," he said, that thoughtful look still on his face.

"Of course!" Sakura said as if she'd just realized something. "You've never met anyone like Asuki. You see, she's a genius! Didn't you notice her eyes? She didn't inherit those from her parents, both of them had dark eyes. She's an abnormality, a one-in-a-million prodigy child.

Asuki has perfect chakra control, better than my own, and because of it, she seems to have an endless supply of it. Her taijutsu is amazing, she trained under Lee at the age of eight. Her nin and genjutsu is flawless, even Kakashi was fooled by her genjutsu, with his Sharingan activated. She's almost surpassed me in medical ninjutsu, even Shizune is surprised at that feat.

She's the perfect ninja, an all-around perfectionist, and those icy eyes of hers make all of that possible. I've even heard rumors of her training under Neji Hyuuga for the past year."

Sasuke's eyes were wide as Sakura listed Asuki's many accomplishments. "How...old is she?" he asked.

"Eleven," Sakura replied simply.

"But...she looks so...mature, like she should be sixteen or older," Sasuke said, not realizing that he was treading dangerous ground.

"Ahem. What's that supposed to mean?" Sakura asked, realizing what Sasuke was talking about.

"Well she's...um...nothing," he stuttered as he looked at Sakura's angry face.

"Get over here," Sakura growled.

Sasuke took a step towards her and his body pressed up against hers. Sakura blushed as she opened her bedroom door and grabbed Sasuke's shirt. "Time to be punished, Sasuke-kun," she whispered into his ear as she pulled him into her room and closed the door.

-End-


End file.
